Congress has been unable, or unwilling, to approve gun control legislation after recent mass shootings — including one targeting lawmakers playing baseball — and it is unlikely to consider new bills after the attack in Las Vegas.

To the contrary, House Republicans are on track to advance legislation easing firearms rules, including a package of bills backed by the National Rifle Assn. that would make it easier to purchase silencers.

Opponents of the bill argue that making silencers more prevalent could worsen the impact of mass shootings. Supporters say silencers can prevent hearing damage among hunters.

Oct. 2, 2017, 9:50 a.m.

Fans cheer at the end of the national anthem before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 17 at Arrowhead Stadium. (John Sleezer / Kansas City Star / TNS)

In response to the deadly shootings in Las Vegas on Sunday night, ESPN has decided to include the national anthem as part of its "Monday Night Football" broadcast of the NFL game between the Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs, according to a Washington Post report.

The decision comes after the network had previously stated its intention of returning to its practice of not airing the national anthem, after showing it last week in the midst of widespread player protests in response to comments by President Trump.

In a speech on Sept. 23, Trump challenged NFL owners to fire players who do not stand during the national anthem. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the movement last season as a protest against social injustice.

Oct. 2, 2017, 9:50 a.m.

Eric Paddock struggled to find the words to explain how it felt to learn his brother, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, was the gunman who opened fire on thousands in Las Vegas on Sunday night and killed more than 50.

Standing in front of reporters on the brick entryway of his Florida home, Eric Paddock told CNN he saw no signs of potential violence from his brother. The two exchanged messages just a few weeks ago.

“He texted me to see how my mom was after we didn’t have power for five days in the neighborhood,” said Paddock, who lives east of Orlando. “He talked to her on the phone a week or two ago, then sent her a walker because she’s having trouble walking.”

The death toll from the shooting attack in Las Vegas rose to at least 58, and the number of injured reached 515, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Monday morning.

Lombardo asked for the public's patience as officials began the "long process" of collecting evidence and recovering bodies.

"I can't go into the mind of a psychopath at this point," Lombardo said at a news conference when asked about the gunman's motive. He said law enforcement officials don't have any record of contact with Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nev.